How Canadian service disruptions could affect your business
For the latest carrier updates regarding this ongoing situation, visit our status page.
On November 15, 2024, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) launched a nationwide strike, suspending all Canada Post services until December 16, 2024. With the strike now paused, existing collective agreements have been extended through May 22, 2025—ensuring no further disruptions until that date.
While both parties are working toward a long-term agreement, Canada Post received a strike notice on May 20, 2025, indicating that CUPW planned to take strike action at 12:00 a.m. local time on Friday, May 23rd. CUPW initiated strike action with an overtime ban on May 23rd, and Canada Post has stated, ‘it’s unclear how CUPW’s strike action may evolve.’ As both parties work through continued negotiations, disruptions and delays to mail service could occur across Canada.
At ShipStation, we understand the uncertainty this situation creates. We’re committed to keeping you informed, helping you plan ahead, and ensuring your shipping operations stay on track. We’re doing everything we can to support your business and maintain reliable delivery service.
Impact on Shipments to Canada
A nationwide service disruption could interrupt all mail and parcel services across Canada—affecting deliveries in urban centers, rural towns, and suburban areas alike. Packages already in transit with Canada Post may experience delays. Deliveries that rely on Canada Post for last-mile service—including those headed to P.O. Boxes or remote locations—could also be impacted. Additionally, increased demand may lead to service disruptions or temporary surcharges from alternate carriers as volume shifts.
Expected Delays
While negotiations are ongoing, it’s important for shippers to plan for potential disruptions. Should a service disruption occur—or in the aftermath—shipping delays are highly likely. To minimize the risk to your fulfillment timelines, we recommend taking proactive steps now to prepare and adjust your shipping strategy accordingly.
How to Navigate
To help you manage possible disruptions and keep your shipping operations on track, here are a few important steps to strengthen your strategy:
- Submit Accurate Customs Information: Avoid unnecessary delays by ensuring that all customs forms are properly filled out.
- Include product URLs in your customs declarations
- Provide clear, specific descriptions for each item
- Use recipients’ full first and last names—avoid listing business names
- Ensure all declared values are accurate and consistent
- Apply the correct tariff codes
- Include product URLs in your customs declarations
- Explore your options: We offer various discounted shipping options to and within Canada—consider diversifying to help reduce delays.
- Simplify with GlobalPost Plus: GlobalPost Plus allows ShipStation users to pay taxes and duties on behalf of your customers (Delivered Duties Paid – DDP), eliminating surprises at delivery and building customer satisfaction. Ship with confidence to some of the world’s largest ecommerce markets and enjoy our advanced customs clearance process.
- Stay Informed: Follow this blog, check our service alerts page for carrier updates, and follow Canada Post’s negotiations page to stay ahead of any changes.
- Keep Your Customers in the Loop: Proactively notify your customers about the potential for shipping delays, and encourage them to stay informed about the evolving situation with Canada Post.
- Take Advantage of our Automated Rate Shopper feature: we help you choose the best carrier option every time. For additional guidance, our support team is available to help customers navigate our carrier selection.
- See Rate Shopper in action:
1/6/25 Update
Effective Monday, January 6, 2025, GlobalPost has resumed full service to Canada, including P.O. Boxes and previously restricted postal codes, and is now accepting mail and packages again for these destinations.
Please note that due to the service interruption and the accumulated backlog from the CUPW strike, shipments to previously restricted postal codes may face delays.
1/3/25 Update
Effective Monday, January 6, 2025, USPS will resume full service to Canada and begin accepting mail and packages again. Starting Monday, January 6, 2025, you can create and print USPS labels destined for Canada using your ShipStation Canada account. Please note that due to the recent CUPW strike and accumulated backlog, shipments may experience delays.
Effective Monday, January 6, 2025, GlobalPost Go will resume full service to Canada and begin accepting packages again. Starting Monday, January 6, 2025, you can create and print GlobalPost Go labels destined for Canada using your ShipStation account. Please note that due to the recent CUPW strike and accumulated backlog, shipments may experience delays.
Effective Friday, January 3, 2025, Purolator has resumed full service across all available Canadian ZIP Codes and is now accepting packages for these destinations.
NZPost resumed full service to Canada and is now accepting mail and packages again. You can now create and print labels destined for Canada using your ShipStation account.
Effective Monday, December 30, 2025, Royal Mail resumed full service to Canada and is now accepting mail and packages again. You can now create and print labels destined for Canada using your ShipStation account.
Please remember that due to the recent CUPW strike and accumulated backlog, shipments may experience processing and delivery delays.
12/17/25 Update
Effective December 17, 2024, Canada Post resumed operations and will be accepting packages again on December 19, 2024. Starting December 19th, you will be able to create and print Canada Post labels using your ShipStation account.
How does this impact other carriers?
At this time, there are no updates from USPS or other disrupted carriers regarding Canada shipments. We’re closely monitoring and will share updates as available.
What should I expect now that Canada Post operations have resumed?
- Processing Shipments: As new volumes are accepted, mail and parcels will be secured and delivered on a first-in, first-out basis.
- Delays Expected: Customers should expect delivery delays through the remainder of 2024 and into January 2025.
- Detailed Information: Visit Canada Post’s negotiations page for more information to help you plan and prepare for the days ahead.
12/13/24 Update
“It is my view, and the view of the FMCS, that the parties are at an impasse,” said Canadian federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon in a statement earlier today. The Labour Minister is now sending the labor dispute between CUPW and Canada Post to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) in an effort to resume Canada Post operations and get striking CUPW workers back to work. The resolution of the strike now requires CIRB to agree with MacKinnon’s assertion that the negotiations are at a standstill.
12/10/24 Update
Effective December 6, 2024, GlobalPost will temporarily pause delivery to Canadian P.O. Boxes and certain postal codes for U.S shipments to Canada due to the ongoing CUPW strike. Since GlobalPost’s network relies on Canada Post for final-mile delivery, service to these regions will be impacted until further notice. Please be aware that Global Post is not sending an error message when a customer prints a label to these postal codes. Customers should refrain from shipping to these areas through Global Post.
For the list of postal codes that are affected, please reach out to our support team.
12/04/24 Update
On November 27, 2024, USPS announced that they would temporarily stop accepting Canada-bound shipments for any mail class, starting November 29, 2024, due to the ongoing CUPW strike. Other global postal carriers, including Australia Post, NZPost, and Royal Mail, have also temporarily halted acceptance of shipments to Canada as of November 27, 2024. Please be aware that shipments already in transit to Canada will be delayed.
Regarding the CUPW strike, the situation is still developing. On December 1, 2024, Canada Post presented CUPW with a comprehensive framework in the hope of reaching negotiated agreements. There are no other updates at this time, however, we are committed to keeping you informed and supported, and continue to monitor the situation closely.
On December 4, 2024, Purolator announced that they would temporarily stop accepting shipments to specific ZIP Codes due to the large influx of shipments during the CUPW strike. If you would like to understand exactly which ZIP Codes have been impacted, please reach out to our support team.
Effective Wednesday, December 4, 2024, UPS On-Call Pickup Requests for Domestic Standard shipments in Canada have been fully suspended until further notice.
Effective Friday, December 6, 2024, Sendle will require customers to enter package dimensions when creating a Sendle label in ShipStation. Sendle continues to accept packages with a destination of Canada at this time.
